Anyway, éclat—the company with the most iconic logo in BMX—released a couple of new parts last week that are worth taking a closer look at. We'll start with this new biodegradable combination tube sealant and grip installer:

Oh, I'm just kidding. You guys need to relax if you're gonna make it to your first anniversary.

But éclat really did put out a few new products. The first is an unnamed stem. It's crazy, because the plate goes on the FRONT, hence the term "front-load." I know, hard to imagine, right? Maybe you'd get a better idea of what I mean if you looked at a photo:

Does it make more sense now? (Seems sort of strange that éclat would start with a frontload when everything's heading back topload. Frontload stems made a lot more sense when people were running low, narrow bars—anyone who ran Castillos and a DK stem could attest to that. They do have a Sean Burns topload in the works, though.) Note the smaller bolts on the face (is this a better option than hollow 6mm bolts?) and the iconic logo on the side.

The niftiest feature (yes, I'm being serious for a moment) is found on the back, which is cut in an "s" shape:

This allows more threading to catch without having to set the bolt heads a half-inch into the stem. Judging from the text (it's referred to as "the proven snake gap") I take it this has been done before, but I guess I ain't noticed. (Unless "the proven snake gap" is actually just something Jimmy Levan jumped over recently.) As for the pertinent measurements, 49.5 mm, 9.5 ounces. And it's nowhere near as terrifying looking as some sub-10 stems. In fact, it's quite aesthetically pleasing. Of course that's just because they removed material from the bottom instead of the sides. And, in the immortal words of Twisted Sister, "what you don't know sure can hurt you, what you can't see makes you scream."

Meh, the seat can wait 'til tomorrow.

••••••••••••

Hey, Tierra V2. I'm amused that the "long" rear end version is 13.65". Don't hurt yourselves.

I've only seen 1 stem break in my entire bmx career and it was an elementary. Considering mountain bikes use what is essentially an aluminum pipe that is twice is long as a bmx stem without breaking, I'm not really too worried about breaking one of these new supermachined stems. Of course I always have and always will run a Solid stem, but it's not because I think I would break an Eclat stem

Honestly, I like the éclat stem. Pretty much the last thing the BMX world needed is yet another machined-down frontload stem, but at least this one looks good. That Premium Sub-10 stem looks unfinished in comparison (well, in comparison to anything, actually).

That bottom machining is ugly, but it's not like it's a timebomb hidden there. Pretty much every BMX stem that doesn't use a goofy clamping system is way overbuilt.

Never throwing my bike (intentionally) might explain this, but I ran the same DK mini stem I got when I was about seven for the whole 1"/threaded era, and I've had a five-ounce FSA on my trails bike for about five years, with no problems, ever. And I haven't been kid-sized for a long time.

Basically, if it's not an Elementary or one of those "hook" dealies, where the forces from riding hit the same places that get stressed when tightening the stem (because there aren't any other places), if you didn't break it putting it on, you're not breaking it.

I'd agree that the market has become saturated with stems as of late, but the Eclat stem looks nice. Plus the way they've machined it makes more sense than some others which are drilled out horizontally such that you can see through it from left to right. The Eclat's machining seems like it would be vertically stiffer, much like an I-beam.

But then again, you'd still have to pry my S&M Redneck out of my cold dead hands.

i like eclat. they have a different approach to a lot of their parts so they're not just another company milling holes everywhere, even if they do some lame stuff like the russ diss or the "iconic" thing.

Anon 9:28...you're not hating UGP, are you? you're talking about where exactly the link took you, i'm guessing. talk about an "iconic logo", that's at least a company with some roots (no pun intended). i would hump Clara Peller to get another "Stand Alone To See Where You Stand" t-shirt.

I'm assuming that they're talking about that gap being 'proven' as it's been sitting happily on the back of the WTP Supreme stem (Which is what this is a lightened version of) for many years now? I haven't seen one of them pinch or strip ever, so they're right to be pretty into that idea. I'm not super keen on the smaller headed bolts, but then again I wasn't really keen on shearing hollow bolts repeatedly either. Their call...

Oh, and I'd class some of their stuff as not entirely unnecessary. Their new pivotal, for example, should be pretty good if it lives up to the hype. I've been waiting for a pivotal seat that wasn't set so far forward for a long, long time, so it's good someone's finally got some balls and re-designed a pan. I know Odyssey did the Senior, but who wants a Senior seat? Either way - their products seem to also be fairly reasonably priced, such as their cranks. I'm aware that 48-spline cranks are apparently "archaic" and "outdated", but at the same time I've heard very few people have issues with the old WTP Royal cranks. Profile Wobble is called Profile Wobble for a reason, after all ;) Even so - they're one of the cheapest decent cranks on the market, and if Twombolts and the like are set to go up in price by as much as it's rumoured, then they're going to be a very, very good alternative.

The point I'm getting at though is that if they were just released under the WTP banner, then people would probably be into it but the products would most likely dip fully under the radar. As it is, they've got a seperate high end parts line (To accompany their budget Salt line), and everyone seems to be forgetting that it's WTP - one of the soundest companies around - who are making it, and making out Eclat to be 'bad' in all of this. Not speaking about you personally, there.

I ran a Casket for years before I tried a Fly stem. It slipped 4 times more in one week than the Primo did. I switched back and sold the Fly to a rider who broke it 2 weeks later. Note this was the old Fly stem not the new super machined out one with tiny bolts.

I really like the Eclat stuff, and I own a few pieces, but I wish they'd stop with the ridiculous ad copy and let their products speak for themselves, which they will! Also whoever said if this stuff is released as WTP no one will notice it is absolutly right.

first off. god bless 11oz stems. fly stems are the best ever. im never getting a new one.

i agree, the eclat product is simple and good. i don't see it as sprfls. no other company offers a rear hub with a driver that cannot blow(george french?) cranks that sean burns approves of. slim pedals with no bearings for weigh, simplicity, and not to have a gay hump where it should be concaved(macneil?)

and to right above me... which seat, both are plastic, also...every seat is plastic.

MISSION STATEMENT

In a world where every new BMX "innovation" is met at best with praise and at worst with a shrug, there needs to be a voice of dissent. SPRFLS is that voice. Make no mistake—we welcome progress, provided it actually IS progress. You are not the width of your handlebars.

Feel free to e-mail suggestions, corrections, tips or death threats to sprfls@gmail.com

Even more pointless (and sometimes entirely un-BMX-related) twittering at http://twitter.com/SPRFLS and http://twitter.com/russbengtson